The University
of Montana—Missoula

Background

In order to understand and
ameliorate any difficulties students have with transferring to The University
of Montana—Missoula, the Provost’s office has gathered data from students
matriculating at the university in the spring and fall semesters of 2002 and
2003. The spring 2004 survey is now posted on the web. New transfer students (N
= 297) have been asked to complete the survey by March 29, 2004.

Results
from these surveys have been consistent and will be summarized below. In
addition, copies of the most recent survey instrument will be appended.

Participation

The
response rate to the 2002 surveys was quite small. During spring semester 2002
only 71 surveys were returned from approximately 400 matriculating transfer
students; only 22 of approximately 1100 students responded during the fall
semester.

Beginning
in the spring semester of 2003, a different strategy for obtaining responses
was adopted: All students transferring to UM-M during the semester are mailed a
postcard requesting their participation in an on-line transfer survey
(attached). In addition, students are promised that five completed surveys will
be drawn randomly and that the students who completed these surveys will be
awarded a gift certificate for $100 from the UC Bookstore. In the spring 2003
semester, 165 of 455 matriculating transfer students (undergraduates only)
completed the on-line survey. In the fall 2003 semester, 106 of 745
matriculating transfer students completed the survey.

Results
from 2002

Given the low response rates (18%
and 2%) from the 2002 surveys and the accompanying confound of selective bias,
initial conclusions reported by the Provost’s office were tentative.
Nevertheless, the results indicated that two-thirds of the students reported
some problems with transferring, while one-third indicated that they had “no
problems at all.” For students transferring from other institutions within
Montana (N = 40 students), 55% indicated that they had experienced problems
with the transfer process. The biggest problem reported by these in-state
students was difficulty getting courses (20% of the students). The other two
most frequently mentioned problems were “difficulty transferring general
education (18%) and “other” (23%). The responses included in “other” ranged
across difficulty with parking to problems with financial aid.

Results
from 2003

Refinements
in the survey and the on-line administration allowed more specific conclusions.
The survey now covers credit transfer, academic advising, and other related
transfer issues. The analyses include response frequencies, an examination of
the survey variables across groups, qualitative comments associated with the
survey, and comparison to prior results. Across the 950 transfer students who
matriculated in 2003, 156 (16.5%) expressed some frustration with the transfer
process, although three quarters indicated that their general education and
major courses transferred to The University of Montana—Missoula. A breakdown of the areas covered follows.

Credit Transfer. Topics
covered in the Credit Transfer section of the questionnaire included transfer
evaluations, frustrations with the transfer process, use of the university’s
web-based transfer guide, and any assistance sought by the student before the
transfer to UM.

Overall, most students (62.4% of participants on the
survey) report receiving a transfer evaluation of general education classes
before selecting courses and only 10% of the respondents reported they did not
receive an evaluation before registration.
However, 12.5% of all transfer students (a little over half of the
respondents) indicated that they did not receive an evaluation of courses
pertaining to their major before selecting courses.

Given that
about 25% of students responded to the surveys given during the spring and fall
of 2003, the actual number of students reporting frustration with the credit
transfer process is small. Two-thirds of the respondents (or 16.5% of the total
number of transfer students) reported frustrations, although over 75% of the
respondents reported that all general education and major courses from their
previous educational institution did in fact transfer. An examination of
qualitative responses to this topic indicates a general sense of frustration
and confusion with the process of transferring. Specifically, confusion about
evaluation and frustration with a perceived lack of communication between
university departments dominated qualitative responses. Additionally, students
with credit totals between 16 and 60 reported significantly more frustrations
with transfer than those with 15 credits or less and 61+ credits. Fine arts and education students reported
significantly more often problems with major credit transfer. This was also
true of out-of-state students.

Few
respondents reported using the university’s web-based guide to determine which
credits would transfer. Only 19.2% reported doing so. Students with an educational background in business, natural
science, and behavioral science reported significantly higher use of the web
guide. Many qualitative responses by
students indicated that they were unaware of the web guide, but that, had they
known of the guide, they would have used it.

Few
students who completed the survey reported seeking transfer assistance before
leaving their previous educational institution. Only 20.3% of the respondents
spoke with an advisor at UM before transferring. Of these, the significant
majority were in-state students. Fewer still (15.5%) reported that their
advisor at their previous institution advised them about transfer equivalency.
Again, as might be expected, the advisors of in-state students spoke with them
more about transfer equivalency.

Advising. Questions
in the advising section of the survey covered how many students met with an
advisor, if advisor made it clear to the student what courses would transfer,
and the student’s overall satisfaction level with their advisor.

Almost all students responding to
this survey met with an advisor (97.4%). Of these, 78% percent reported a
review of their transcript evaluation and/or development of a plan of study.
However, the level of understanding gleaned from these meetings varied. While
most respondents (53.5%) understood what general education credits transferred,
the majority of respondents did not understand what major credits would
transfer (53.1% of the respondents; 13% of the total number of transfer
students). Approximately 15% of all transfer students did not understand which
elective credits would transfer (61.3% of the respondents) and reported their
advisor did not help develop a plan of study (62.7% of the respondents).
Regardless, the vast majority of respondents (81%) reported to be either satisfied
or very satisfied with their advisor. Qualitatively, students tended to report
frustrations with their peer advisor, and indicated that they would have much
preferred a professor as an advisor. Those who had a professor as an advisor
generally had positive things to say about their advising experience, although
problems of scheduling affected some students. Out-of-state students reported a
greater understanding of credit transfer.

Related Issues.This section of the survey looked issues associated with entering a new
institution and moving to a new area. These are: course availability, financial
aid difficulties, employment, housing, and childcare. Some students (about 12%
of the total number of transfer students, 47.3% of the respondents) reported having
difficulty getting courses in the spring semester of 2003, but in the fall of
2003 that percent dropped to about 8% of the total number of transfer students.
In an examination of qualitative responses, students indicated that the timing
of their registration prevented them from getting the classes they wanted. Most
respondents (73.4%) reported that they had no difficulty arranging financial
aid, although some qualitative responses expressed frustration with the
financial aid office. In-state students reported financial aid problems
significantly more often, perhaps because of the higher proportion of transfers
from community colleges throughout the state. Most respondents (71.6%)
responded in the negative to the survey question, “I can’t find a job.” Based
on the survey, there appear to be few problems with housing and childcare.
Ninety-one percent of respondents indicated no problems finding housing, and
only a single respondent indicated problems finding childcare.

Relationship of Transfer Survey Questions and Orientation. Responses to the transfer survey questions were also
examined to determine whether attendance at orientation sessions, and the
timing of these, played a role in the ease of transfer. For those students who
failed to attend an orientation session, transfer problems were more evident.
For example, 10% of those students surveyed in the Fall of 2003 who failed to
attend an orientation session reported that they did not understand what
courses transferred for elective credits, 29% for what transferred for general
education, and only 38% talked to an advisor before selecting courses. In
comparison, responses from student who attended orientation indicated that they
understood what courses transferred for electives (41%), for general education
requirements (55%) and that they talked to an academic advisor before selecting
courses (69%). In addition, the timing of attendance at an orientation session
also had an effect. For example, those students who attended an orientation
session in the preceding spring or early in the summer were more apt to
indicate that they knew what courses transferred for general education (67% for
spring, 72% for June, 75% for July) than those who attended later sessions (47%
for August, 20% for September). These trends are likely to stem from a number
of parameters, including self selection and the number of students attending
specific orientation sessions.

Conclusions
and Future Directions

In general,
the majority of students are satisfied with their transfer experience, although
improvement in several areas might lead to better outcomes. Areas under
discussion are:

1.providing transfer evaluation before students actually
enroll for courses in order to provide earlier feedback regarding credit
transfer and build a database for course equivalency,